Chef hopes to change Chicago laws barring gourmet food trucks

June 01, 2010|By Monica Eng, Tribune reporter

In late March Maroni and his wife launched the Web site ChicagoFoodTrucks.com to start the movement, gather comments and accumulate Twitter followers. So far they have attracted more than 800 followers and hundreds of supportive comments that they hope to present to the City Council.

On a recent hot morning, Maroni was testing out a few of his signature naanwiches in his Edgewater kitchen at 5973 N. Clark St. He started with a warm, pliant slab of flatbread and added braised lamb neck slices, marinated tomatoes and a curry tzatziki. Other fillings included chicken thigh confit, celery leaves and Cabrales cheese; braised short rib with herb salad; and smoked salmon tossed in creme fraiche and poached red onion.

In coming weeks, Maroni hopes to serve versions of these sandwiches from a converted postal truck. Following existing city rules would mean all food would be cooked and packaged in advance.

Others trucks working under current rules include that of Troy Johnson, whose Chicago All Fired Up truck serves chicken, shrimp and barbecue at Park District locations, often around 63rd and Hayes. Tiffany Kurtz's Flirty Cupcakes has been dispensing mobile treats in the city since last month, and Amanda Cavazos hopes to be selling sandwiches, soups, flowers and sweets from her Happy Bodega truck later this summer.

In hopes of allowing proprietors to expand into fresh food cooked to order, Maroni said he's prepared to do a lot of wooing in the City Council as the ordinance gets discussed in committee.

"I want to be able to talk to every alderman and department about their particular concerns so we can solve them before the vote," he said. "This should be a win-win for everyone."